


Trouble

by crystalsnowflakes



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27045631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalsnowflakes/pseuds/crystalsnowflakes
Summary: Five times Reno and Yuffie were tempted to kiss each other and the one time they finally did.
Relationships: Yuffie Kisaragi/Reno
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	Trouble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TaurusDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaurusDragon/gifts).



> Thank you for being such a supportive reader since I started posting on AO3 a few months ago <3 Without your constant encouragement, I’m not sure if I would have continued to write & post. You are AMAZING! :)

**I.**

“And then he said I had nice legs, so I totally kicked his ass with my awesomely long legs because what an  _ asshole _ for thinking I can’t fight because I’m hot. Gawd,  _ men,” _ Yuffie muttered angrily as she threw her hands in the air. “Kapow! And what a fricken amazing ass-kicking it was! But anyways, Cat-Boy said I was so out of this world this last assignment that he’s giving me a few days of R&R if I want, but of course, it’s so  _ boring _ in Edge, so I…”

Reno's eyes glanced briefly at her lengthy legs in silent appreciation before he zoned her out with a scoff. For that, he earned a sharp glare his way as he checked his watch and sipped on his whiskey.

Rude had said he would arrive ten minutes ago. Now where the fuck was he because it wasn’t often he would be late, especially since they were meeting at Seventh Heaven where a certain barmaid had caught his partner’s attention for over half a decade.

His gaze drifted discreetly to the barmaid who was currently wiping dry glasses as she stacked them back on the shelf while concentrating on the theatrical ninja sitting next to him. How Tifa managed to keep listening with such patience boggled his mind—he thought  _ he _ was talkative, but  _ holy shit. _

“D'you ever get tired of listenin’ to yourself?” Reno muttered irritably. It had been for himself more than anything, but it wouldn’t hurt for her to hear him just so she knew how fucking annoying she was.

Yuffie’s monologue stopped abruptly as she spun in her bar stool around to face him—her eyebrows raised angrily, her lips pressed thinly together. Reno noticed Tifa giving him a tight smile from the corner of his eyes as she placed the rag down and mumbled a quick excuse to leave—smart woman.

“Ya know, Turkey,” she seethed, her eyes flashing with fury, “I’ve been tolerating your presence. If you didn’t wanna hear me talk, there’s empty tables elsewhere.”

He shrugged disinterestedly. “I was here first,  _ brat.” _

The next thing he knew, she had practically yanked him off the chair as she grabbed the lapels of his suit. A stunned yelped escaped his mouth and Yuffie looked smug that she had managed to catch him unaware. “Yeah? Well, I’m gonna kick  _ your ass too _ if you don’t shut your—”

He scowled as he leaned forward to get into her personal space and was startled to hear her breath catch noticeably. For all her loud and brazen talk about her own legs, she seemed unexpectedly and endearingly lacking in experience regarding the opposite sex.

Interesting.

For the first time, instead of her legs, he focused his stare on the way her large dark eyes and long dark lashes contrasted against her ivory complexion, on the way her soft pink lips were parted, on the way her hair flowed above her slender neck—on the way her breath warmed his lips.

“Huh,” he murmured, a little incredulous that he had never noticed before. What was more astonishing to himself was that he was tempted to close what little distance there was between the two of them. “Well whaddya know… You’re kinda hot when you  _ shut the fuck up.” _

And then she blinked and moved away and all her fury came rushing back as she screeched in frustration.

“You are  _ such _ an  _ asshole,” _ she said murderously and just as she was about to open her mouth again, Tifa had returned.

Luckily, Rude chose that very moment to enter the establishment. Grabbing his cup of whiskey, Reno slid off his own stool and cast a look over his shoulders, his usual smirk in place.

“Good talk,  _ princess.” _

When he rejoined Rude at the corner table, he couldn’t help his gaze from travelling back to her.

How’d he never noticed before?

**II.**

_ “Gawd,” _ Yuffie grumbled as she swung her body around and let her shuriken fly, the weapon glinting brightly in the morning sun. “Why did I have to be stuck with  _ you?” _ Her eyes studied the hordes of monsters rushing towards them, cheering in jubilation when three of them were beheaded in one fell swoop.

A sparkling flash of blue caused her to study him out of the corner of her eyes and she had to admit that the Turk had impressive agility—not that she would ever admit it out loud. Her nimble fingers snatched the shuriken out of the air before sending it soaring through the breeze again.

He snickered wryly in response. “You’re here to keep an eye on me, princess. Or didya forget?” His nightstick rammed against the stomach of a beast before it illuminated with electricity, causing the revolting and distinct smell of burnt flesh to permeate the air.

“Urk,” she grimaced, her face slightly green. “That’s really fricken gross, Turkey. Could you like, kill them without burning their bodies to a crisp? 'Cause they don’t smell like bacon.”

“Speakin’ of bacon,” Reno said casually as he smashed his nightstick down on another monster before flipping on the switch—a sharp, shrill shriek echoed around the cliffs. His gaze—intense and indecipherable—was on her now. She flung her weapon inches away from the side of his face to decapitate the creature creeping up behind him and she noticed with interest that he didn’t even flinch.

“What ‘bout bacon?” she asked as she ran towards him, using her hand on his shoulder as leverage to front flip over him and grab her weapon from the air. She turned towards him, her eyebrow raised. “You’re kinda making me hungry right now and I didn’t have time to have breakfast ‘cause some jackass started banging on my door before the sun was up.”

A charged projectile flew past her and she felt the shift in the air the moment it impacted the monster behind her.

“There’s a diner by the inn.”

“You paying?” she asked with a teasing grin. She was never going to turn down free food, even if the one who was offering was the jerk standing in front of her.

His eyes studied the endless swarm approaching and he shot her a conceited smirk. “Let’s make it a competition, brat. Loser pays for breakfast.”

She gave a loud, boisterous laugh before her shuriken flashed through the air again. “You’re on, you stupid Turkey. Let’s go!”

The mountains were filled with the sounds of her weapon whistling in the air, of his nightstick zapping against flesh and of his gun unloading—the both of them focused on their task, neither willing to lose.

“Forty-fricken-one!” Yuffie gave a cheer as the last of the creature fell and she turned around to look at him with her trademark grin, hand on her hip. “Well, Carrot Top? Guess you owe me breakfast, huh.”

A bark of laughter came from Reno and she narrowed her eyes at him, surprised at the sound because she didn’t think she had ever heard him  _ laugh.  _ She had to admit that it was a nice sound. “Forty-two, princess. Time to pay up.”

_ “No way!” _ she screeched, her jaw dropping open in disbelief. “You filthy  _ liar!” _ She ran the five steps to reach him and was about to pull him down by his jacket when she momentarily lost her footing—with flailing arms, she fell right into Reno, knocking him backwards onto the ground, her forehead smashing against his jaw painfully.

“Fuck!” “Owwww…”

She noted absently that he smelled like cigarette, coffee and pine and that for such a scrawny and lanky asshole, he had a really toned set of abs. With a sheepish grin, she peered up at him and noticed just how close their faces were. And then she remembered the last time their faces had been so close at Seventh Heaven—his breath on her cheeks and his hands on her sides made her heart flutter and she was tempted to lower her face to his.

“I’m gonna fuckin’ leave your ass in Nibelheim if ya don’t pay for breakfast,” he finally muttered, his voice low as one of his hands rose up to rub his jaw. His smoldering gaze strayed to her lips and she felt her cheeks flushing—both excitement and fear welled up inside her as she realized their compromising position—and then she remembered who he was.

She pushed herself off of him, scrambling, while making sure to  _ accidentally  _ knee him in the side. “Fine, asshole. I’m gonna win next time though. I was going easy on you anyways.”

Sneering at her, he stood up and brushed the dust off his jacket and pants. “Next time?”

She began making her way back down the mountain without waiting for him, but she looked at him over her shoulder as she stuck out her tongue. “You think the WRO isn’t gonna keep an eye on you sketchy losers? Especially  _ you?” _

He picked up his nightstick off the ground before holstering it and followed her, hands deep in his pockets as he shot her his lazy smirk. “You sure it isn’t ‘cause ya wanna jump me?”

Her glowering glare didn't even faze him and she threw up her middle finger at him.

“Oh, fuck off.”

He snickered in response.

Gawd, had the jerk always been this good looking?

**III.**

“Shit!” she grunted out, feeling  _ something _ slicing through her thigh and for a moment, it drove the air from her lungs. Clenching her teeth, her nimble fingers reached for one of her throwing knives and threw—it lodged itself between the shooter’s eyes. She staggered behind a box before her leg gave way—falling against the metal boxes, she sank to the ground. With a grimace, she ignored the warmth of the liquid spilling from the wound and tried to feel around it.

“You okay, brat?” Reno’s voice came through in her ear.

She peered past the barriers she was hiding behind and was relieved to see that their attention wasn’t on her anymore—bullets were whizzing towards Reno on the other side of the room. Good. Looking down, she wondered how long she would have until she lost too much blood—the wound wasn’t deep, but… Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up to stand and almost yelped in pain when she tried to put any weight on it.

“Yuffie?” The worry in his voice surprised her.

She responded with a wince, “Gawd, I can’t believe some no-name asshole just shot me in the leg. At least I got him right in the fricken head. How far away’s backup?”

“Less than two minutes out." His reply came right away. “You need a potion?”

“No exit wound,” she said as she tried to ignore the burning and irritating pain that had started. Unless the bullet fell out of her wound nicely, she wouldn’t be able to use any potions or her materia until they reached the hospital—or until Reno dug his finger into her leg and… She stopped her thoughts, pushing the nausea away.

“Fuck,” he muttered, “Lie low. I’m comin’ to get ya.”

She snickered, “I’m not exactly going anywhere, Turkey.” She slid back down with her back against the box, the metallic smell of bloody suddenly overwhelming. “Might need a tourniquet… Iunno. There’s quite a bit of uh…blood.”

Her hand held onto her shuriken tightly as she waited for Reno, all the while cursing the asshole who shot her. She hated feeling useless, especially in front of him—she wasn’t a damsel in distress, dammit. She wasn’t sure how long it had been, but the Turk showed up next to her soon enough, his eyes flickering to her face before landing on the gunshot wound and the amount of blood on the ground.

“You’re such a pain in my ass, it actually fuckin’ hurts,” he muttered as he knelt down next to her before his fingers pulled out something she had never seen  _ on _ him—a tie.

“Hah,” she laughed, having an idea what he was about to do. “Admit it. You’re just totally worried ‘bout me.”

He didn’t deny it.

Just then, the skylights shattered, raining broken glass down below and Yuffie was incredibly glad at that moment that she wasn’t anywhere near there. She didn’t think she had ever been so glad to see WRO soldiers in her life because her leg was starting to throb painfully. He grabbed her leg wordlessly and wrapped his tie around her upper thigh before tightening it and knotting it, causing Yuffie to flinch as she looked at the top of his head.

“Yeah, well. You’re bleedin’ all over my tie, you little shit,” he muttered after a few moments and Yuffie had to blink to refocus her attention on his voice.

“You don’t even use it,” she retorted with a chortle.

But then he looked up from her bleeding extremity and their eyes met. Yuffie’s stomach tightened and she was all too aware of the commotion happening near them, but all she could focus on was the way her heart raced because of the asshole in front of her—she wanted to kiss him  _ again. _ His lips quirked up ever so slightly as if he could read her mind before turning his head away abruptly—then he pushed himself off the ground.

“You gonna be okay?” He asked, glancing down at her.

She pushed down the flutters in her stomach and willed her heart to relax. “Yeah, yeah. No problem! Great Ninja Yuffie, remember?” she said, her voice sounding a lot more confident than she felt. He gave her one last look before turning around and striding away, gun in his bloodstained hands—she wasn’t sure if she felt glad or disappointed.

He was nothing but trouble anyways.

**IV.**

It had been a complete fluke that she saw them coming out of yet another nondescript dive bar in Edge. Godo had called to give her a lecture about her duties and responsibilities as the future Empress and that it was nearing time for her to find a nice man, settle down and have children. Gawd, she was only twenty-one—she wasn’t ready for adulting, let alone having her own  _ spawn. _ Her laundry basket was constantly full, her clean clothes in an unfolded pile on one side of her bed, she had filthy empty mugs by her bedside table—she would be having takeout everyday if it wasn’t for the WRO cafeteria and Tifa.

What a way to ruin a Saturday night.

In a foul mood and not wanting her own personal misery and frustration to leak into Tifa’s already busy life, she had entertained herself by balancing precariously on the roof ledges of Edge and making death-defying jumps. It was his bright red hair contrasting against the dark, dreary city that notified her of his presence—there were only two people she knew who had such ridiculous hair.

She watched as Reno separated himself from the group and was prepared to follow him, except Tseng had bent his head low to whisper into Elena’s ear and Yuffie couldn’t believe the shy smile that crossed her face. Was something  _ actually _ happening between the two of them? Casting one final look at the Second-in-Command because she had been  _ so _ curious to see where he lived, she crept along the rooftops to follow the couple instead.

She had to admit that the two of them  _ were _ kinda cute together, plus Elena had been crushing hard on her boss since the early days of Meteorfall. It was hard for Yuffie to contain the small squeal of excitement that almost escaped her lips—she was glad that her acquaintance? Colleague? Friend? Seemed so happy and  _ flustered. _ But even while walking Elena home, Tseng was typing away on his phone and Yuffie was tempted to swing down from the roof to smack that phone out of his hand.

Now, if only Tifa could find someone.

Yuffie heard a slight rustling behind her and it was only out of pure reflex that she dropped on one knee—the familiar shock of projectile shot straight past her.

“Hey!” she yelled backwards with a scowl. “You coulda hurt me, ya know?” At least she knew why Tseng was texting now.

“Quit bein’ such a stalker,” Reno drawled as he tapped his nightstick on his shoulder.

“Hmph,” she grunted as she stuck her tongue out at him. “Are they together or what?” She tried to peer over the side of the building to see them, but they had already disappeared.

“No idea,” Reno admitted as he holstered his nightstick back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Were they holdin’ hands and bein’ all fuckin’ cutesy and stuff?”

“Not really,” Yuffie said, wrinkling her nose before turning back around to face him. “Well, thanks for ruining my night and all, Turkey. See ya!" And before he could respond, she vaulted off the side of the three story building into a dark alley. 

Now where to go? It was nearing midnight and Tifa would start worrying if she didn’t show up. She did, after all, promise she would return to the guest room tonight.

In a much better mood now, maybe she could hit up the bar and help Tifa out before getting a few drinks in.

She heard Reno landing with a soft thud behind her. His fingers wrapped around her wrist unexpectedly, not hurting her, but strong enough that she’d have a hard time pulling away. The touch of his calloused hand on her skin sent a shiver up her spine. She looked at him over her shoulder with a quirked eyebrow.

“Whaddya want, you jerk?”

“I’ll make it up to ya,” he said, his tone low and husky. The circles he was drawing on her wrist with his thumb were distracting and she didn’t notice how close he had gotten to her until he started talking again. “For ruinin’ your night and all.”

Her heart was beating so fast against her ribs suddenly that it was hard to breathe. “Wha…”

She could smell the familiar scent of pine and smoke on him as well as the whiskey on his breath—did he have a little  _ too _ much to drink? Her eyes drifted to his and she felt her breath catch slightly from the intensity of his gaze. Had his eyes always been this green? Was that a tint of  _ blue? _ If she just shifted forward half an inch—her eyes lowered to look at his chapped lips and it was not the first time that she wondered how it would feel to kiss him. Gawd knows they’ve had enough opportunities that were always interrupted.

The shrill ringing of his phone was heard and a flash of annoyance appeared on his face and disappeared just as quickly. His hand reached inside his pocket as he shifted backwards just slightly.

“Chief,” he muttered into his phone. “Yeah, yeah. Don't kill the ninja brat. Got it.”

She breathed out, relieved that they had been interrupted because she wasn’t sure if she would have done something she was going to regret the next moment.

Yuffie flashed her usual cheeky grin at him. “I’m fine, Broody! Thanks for asking! But stop siccing your dog on me ‘cause he’s kinda annoying. ‘Kay thanks byeeeeeeeeee!”

She ripped her wrist from his grasp and danced away before she could change her mind.

What the hell was he doing to her?

**V.**

Download completed, he pulled out the memory card and slipped it into the inner pockets of his jacket. His feet barely made any noise as he left the home office as quietly as he entered. Making sure to close the door softly behind him, Reno removed the suspicious-looking fingered gloves off his hands and made his way down the staircase inconspicuously.

He heard her unfamiliar tinkering laughter before he saw her. His eyes examined the crowd before finally landing on her as she spoke animatedly to those around her, her eyes dancing, her lips smiling. Not for the first time that night, he studied the way her navy dress swirled around her slender legs, the way her neckline showed off her delicate collarbone and the way her ribbon cinched alluringly around her lithe waist—or the way her strap would slide down her shoulder and the front of her dress would dip a little lower. It was easy to forget how attractive she was when all she did was jump around in her ugly khaki shorts and skimpy top.

He approached her, his hand on the small of her back, his mouth by her ear. “A word, Lady Kisaragi?”

The small catch in her breath made his lip curl a little before she nodded. As soon as they made their way to the large balcony of the mansion and the mass was behind her, her carefully crafted mask melted away. It impressed him that she was able to so easily school her features into one of Lady Kisaragi and he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her at the same time.

“Got what you needed, Turkey?” She asked, her voice seemingly exhausted as she leaned her body forward against the railing, her eyes studying the expanse of darkness in front of her.

“Heh,” he chuckled. “Whaddya think?” He slouched his back into the ledge, his elbows supporting the majority of his weight as his gaze studied the multitude of rich people inside the mansion. Pathetic.

Tilting her head slightly towards him, she observed him for a moment before sighing. “You gonna tell me why I got all dressed up as  _ Lady Kisaragi,  _ when you could’ve probably gotten  _ your boss _ to help you losers get into a party full of filthy rich people so you can sneak off to that sketchy asshole’s office?”

“Nah.” His fingers pulled out a cigarette. “It’s confidential, babe.”

She snorted. “You know I’m gonna ask Reeve and he’s gonna tell me anyways, right?”

The next moment, the cigarette in his fingers had disappeared and Yuffie had a mischievous grin on her face. He scowled in return.

“Maybe you should go and ask Tuesti then.”

“Screw you,” she muttered with a huff.

He lowered his face to hers so that they were almost eye to eye—their noses almost touching. His gaze unwavering, he watched as she licked her painted lips, her eyes widening slightly as her cheeks pinked darker than her artificial blush. The intoxicating floral scent of hers was slowly driving him to the edge. It pissed him off that the woman in front of him had somehow mesmerized him so much that he was even  _ thinking _ about kissing her. Again.

“That can be arranged,  _ princess,” _ he murmured, his voice smooth.

Yuffie glowered at him as she shifted sideways a step farther. “That is  _ not _ what I mean, jackass. Also, get out of my face. You’re kinda my pretend-bodyguard and the last thing I need is rumours that—”

“I’ll pay for drinks tonight,” he offered out of the blue as he pulled away, hoping it would stop her rambling. It was a tradition of theirs to go out for food or drinks after missions—usually the loser of the bet paid, but he supposed he  _ did  _ owe her for taking time out of her day to dress up and attend the party.

“Wait, really?” she asked as she peered up at him—wide smile and eyes shining—he felt his heart stutter in his chest unexpectedly. “You think Godo will give a shit if I get the hell out of here early?”

“Do  _ you _ give a shit what he thinks?” he asked, making sure to keep his voice leveled.

She tossed him her trademark cheeky grin that he had been so used to seeing on her, so full of mischief and impishness. “Good point, Turkey.”

What the fuck was she doing to him?

**VI.**

By the time he had dropped off the memory card at the office, she was already sitting at the bar with a cold beer, chatting cheerfully with the bartender. Yuffie was no longer in the dress from earlier in the evening and was clad in her usual attire—he took a brief moment to study her willowy limbs and lithe figure and realized with a jolt that he actually preferred her in her shorts and top.

The barkeep took one glance at him, his eyes drifting to his infamous suit before his lips thinned and he lowered his face to whisper into Yuffie’s ear—she cackled in response, patting him on the arm jovially. A sudden pang of jealousy shot through Reno, shocking him with its intensity and his mind scrambled to make sense of his own feelings.

“I know he’s bad news,  _ bro.” _ She said, loud enough for him to hear before laughing again. “I kinda work with the asshole.” The barkeep shot her a winning grin before walking over to serve other customers and giving him a warning glare, earning a scoff from Reno.

The bar was quiet, even for a Friday night and Reno slid in the seat next to her, his hand grasping the glass of whiskey that was already ordered for him before taking a sip. “You know ‘im?”

Yuffie turned her head around over her shoulder to study the red headed bartender before nodding and looking at him. “Kinda. Tifa’s friend from before uh... _ everything.” _ Before he dropped the Sector Seven Plate—his mind immediately supplied with bitterness. She took a big gulp and finished her beer, wiping her mouth with the back of her hands before she leaned over to him, her voice lowered. “Heart of gold, that one, but honestly not the sharpest tool in the box.”

“Yea?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed. “His hair is obnoxiously red like yours too,” she mused with a slight smile.

“Tch,” he sneered. His nose caught her faint scent again and he pinched the bridge of his nose before he slid his gaze towards her warily. Merely being around her tested his sanity in more ways than one and he wondered why he didn’t kick up more of a fuss when he was constantly assigned with her during collaborative missions. He motioned for the barkeep to bring him another beer and whiskey as he finished his first off before realizing she was still in the middle of one of her monologues.

“...and he apparently got his ass handed to him at the Corneo Colosseum—”

“Holy shit, brat.”

She stopped talking, casting a small glare at him for interrupting. “What?” The bartender placed down a beer and another glass of whiskey while giving him a look before grabbing a rag to wipe down tables.

“D'you ever get tired of listenin’ to yourself?” 

Instead of scowling like he had expected her to, Yuffie rolled her eyes before punching him in the shoulder and he had to force himself not to wince—the scrawny little shit was a lot stronger than she looked. “You gonna tell me I look hot when I shut the fuck up? Yeah, I’ve heard it before, loser. Good thing I don’t give a shit ‘bout what  _ you—” _

He tilted her chin up towards him abruptly and whatever words she wanted to say died in her throat. Inches away now, he noticed that she had taken off the make-up from earlier and he was able to smell the clean scent of soap on her.

“R-Reno?” Her voice was uncertain and the unexpected sound of his name on her lips caused his pulse to race. His eyes trailed to her hazel ones and he could imagine them dancing and sparkling as she laughed easily or blazing with anger whenever he would say something to piss her off. He looked at the way she was biting her lips and realized she wasn’t pulling away from him—she was just as confused as him.

Good, because he felt fucking blindsided by whatever he was feeling at the moment.

He lowered his face to hers and pressed his lips against her soft ones and when she didn’t immediately pull away or slap him, he began teasing her mouth, nipping at her lips and kissing her deeply. To his surprise, she sighed breathily before she returned his kisses—the taste of her driving him up the wall—and then he pulled away.

His gaze glanced over at the bartender who was still focused on his task before he gave her a meaningful look. “I live a few blocks away.”

She looked unsure and for a moment, he really thought she was going to throttle him, but then she nodded and hopped off the stool, glancing backwards over her shoulder towards him with a glint of desire in her eyes as he tossed down a few bills—whatever hesitation he had disappeared at seeing the look in her eyes.

He could barely remember the walk back to his apartment.

As soon as the door to his suite closed, he pulled her into his arms, her sharp intake of breath urging him on as he dipped down to kiss her—for the first time realizing just how small she was. She broke away suddenly as her nimble fingers untied her boots and he took the opportunity to fumble out of his shoes. Before he knew it, she dragged his face down to hers forcefully.

“Fuck,” he hissed out, his teeth stinging slightly.

She giggled slightly. “Sorry.”

“You’re so fuckin’ short,” he muttered as he lifted her up before she could retort—she yelped in surprise as her hands grabbed onto his shoulders tightly, her nails digging into his skin painfully and her legs wrapped around his core, almost driving him over the brink instantly. Nearly stumbling, he managed the few steps to the kitchen before placing her down on the counter top, sliding her forward so that her supple body was flushed against his, earning a quiet laugh. His hand settled itself on the nape of her neck as he tilted her head up towards him and he studied her face again—the gleam in her eyes, the tenderness of her lips, the warmth of her cheeks. He felt his chest pounding hard against his rib as his other hand snuck up under her top and rested on the small of her back, his calloused fingers drawing patterns on her smooth skin as her eyes darkened with need. Everything about her was intoxicating and he still couldn’t understand what it was about her that was driving him up the wall.

He could barely think straight with the way she looked at him, full of want and trust, and before his thoughts could overwhelm him—because sleeping with someone he worked with was definitely crossing a line he shouldn’t be crossing—he lowered his face to her. Nipping at her earlobe, he almost groaned in satisfaction as she gave a gentle moan and pulled herself closer towards him. Her eyes fluttered close and he felt her hands tangling themselves into his hair. He dipped his head back to her neck and he continued to graze his teeth against her neck roughly as she trembled with pleasure.

“This is such a bad idea,” she breathed out with a soft sigh.

He snickered into the hollow of her neck and took in the scent of her—he felt like his senses were overloaded from just being near her. “No kiddin’. Feel free to stop.”

“I’m not known for making good decisions,” she responded with a snort and he could imagine her impish grin and cheeky gaze without even trying to.

“Neither am I, princess,” he murmured lazily before capturing her lips with his again.

Hours later, as she laid against his chest, her exhausted body curled up against him in deep sleep, he just  _ knew _ that she was going to turn his entire life upside down. He wrapped his arm around her drowsily before he closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep—he couldn’t find it in himself to give a shit that he was  _ cuddling _ with her.

She was already nothing but fucking trouble anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> In all my years of writing fanfiction, I have never written anything in the “5+1 Things” trope, so I decided to try my hand at it since I needed a palate cleanser from my multi-chaptered fic. This can also be viewed as the prequel to ‘Lockdown’, but can also be a standalone.
> 
> As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!


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